Future or Marvel

[sok117]

Well, every so often (and I'm talking like once a year) I go and check mega blocks' website just to see whats new, and how there hopelessly trying to combat TLC's awesome products. Today I was ever so shocked to find out that they are making sets for the new Iron Man 2 movie, But wait didn't Disney buy out Marvel, and isn't Disney currently working together with Lego? So whats the big idea? Two competing companies, and it just so happens that Disney is supplying the weapons for both sides. I really had some hope that Lego was going to produce a marvel based line, but what hope do we have now? Your thoughts and opinions on this appalling matter would be appreciated.

oh and here is a link, but don't say I didn't warn you...

[super curry max]

Everything still all comes down to Licensing. Marvel like every other company licenses their properties out for a period of time. This agreement happened long before Disney bought them and Marvel/Disney would probably have to pay a hefty amount to back out of that contract. It is same thing with marvel movies and TV shows. Disney owns them and has their own TV channels, yet Nickelodeon still has the rights to several marvel properties. And with Marvel making their movies now they can do whatever they want, except they can't make their own X-Men, Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, and some other character movies because other movie studios have those rights. It seems all kinds of wrong for our point of view but this is life.

I do agree that marvel lego sets would be the height of excellence. But until megabloks decides it isn't worth it to keep the license or the contract expires it won't happen. :(

[lightningtiger]

Sad but it's true, we must wait until their deal with MB dies (hopefully soon ! ).

But what was the story years ago with Spiderman - that is a Marvel character and Lego did quite a few sets ?

Anyway, may we wait in hope for a Fantastic Four battle pack, it's just that......hope !

I'm a conformist! everyone !

[Shadows]

Disney also contracts out a 3rd brick company to make their licensed Disney Park based sets and has used other companies previously. They have never been a company known for brand loyalty, they want the right deal at the right moment and will move on to your competitor without hesitation when that moment passes. It's true of all of their products and all of the things they use to do business down to napkins. In that regard they are a lot like Walmart, they always manage to wield their power to get the best deal, wherever it may come from. I'm not going to say if that is good or bad because I've heard it told both ways, it's just a fact of life when dealing with them.

Beyond that, speculation about why they allow someone else to make a different licensed product isn't a licensed discussion, so I'll move this to Community.

[light]

LEGO has batman that mean they also can make the DC superhero's set.(Superman )

I don't know why they just stop the batman and don't have any superhero's set

Edited April 5, 2010 by light

[Omicron]

Lego would have to gain the License from Marvel, not Disney. Disney may be the parent company but they do not own the character rights of Marvel characters. This is something you guys really need to understand.

Just like with the Batman sets. Warner Bros owns DC comics but it was WB that Lego got the license from. It was DC.

-Omi

[Joebot]

Sad but it's true, we must wait until their deal with MB dies (hopefully soon ! ).

But what was the story years ago with Spiderman - that is a Marvel character and Lego did quite a few sets ?

Anyway, may we wait in hope for a Fantastic Four battle pack, it's just that......hope !

I'm a conformist! everyone !

The Spiderman license was with Sony Pictures (the studio that made the Spiderman movies), not with Marvel. Thus, TLC was limited to sets / mini-figs solely from the movie, and not from the comics.

An open-ended license with Marvel, with access to their entire roster of characters, would be freakin' amazing.

[LegoDad42]

(Personal story...I know no one cares...but...)Mega Bloks ProBuilder is what actually got me into LEGO. I was a former model builder way back in the day and then my son got a Mega Bloks ProBuilder Helicopter, we had fun putting it together and it was enjoyable. Went to the toy store looking for others and then realized the difference with LEGO and voila'...I was hooked on LEGO! Thank You MegaBloks.

Now with Marvel (I'm a big Make Mine Marvel dude)...I'd love if LEGO would get their hands on the license from the comics (NOT the movies). The mini-figs alone are well worth it and I'd be running to the store for the Baxter Building, X-Men's Mansion, the halls of Asgard itself, Galactus' ship...and dare I say...a Galactus maxi-fig!!!

Edited April 5, 2010 by LegoDad42

[sok117]

I'd love if LEGO would get their hands on the license from the comics (NOT the movies).

.a Galactus maxi-fig!!!

I don't think Lego would make a license just for the comics, *remembers batman* on second thought, that might be a possibility, and a galactus figure would be sweet, maybe like the build-a-buzz and construct-a-zurg figures.

[Joey Lock]

I don't understand why people on this forum get so worked up about Mega Bloks. Guys, Fact of life ok? It's a Toy, Just like Lego, Its not a bomb, It won't infiltrate your home and kill you in your sleep. It won't start ripping off the heads of your Lego charecthers. Its meant for kids, just like Lego. Sheesh...

I'm glad Mega Bloks is making this stuff, It shows that from now on, they are their own company. They have articulated figures now, with awesome weapons and accesories, capable for Lego figures to have. It used to be Mega Bloks stealing Lego's Ideas, Now its switched.

I mean, take Prince of Persia for example, The new "Ninja Claws" look exactly like Shredder from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles would have, Which was a license by Megabloks. I mean, Look at the liscenes Lego have, Harry Potter, Thats a bunch of wizards with sticks, Mega Bloks has Space Marines with giant machine guns and laser pistols! We have to resort to customisers like Brickarms for that kind of stuff, Mega Bloks make it for themselves, included in the sets. Now I'm not saying Mega Bloks is better than Lego but with Megabloks + Lego, you can have endless fun. Just look at my HMS Unicorn, It's used some Clone parts in its construction, because Clone parts are much much much more ingenious than standard Lego parts.

A few years ago I bought the Skulls Eye's Phantom and was delighted, I played with it for ages. Ok, Not as customisable as Lego is but I still liked it. I still had fun. I "Played Well". That's what Lego wants, thats what kids want.

[larry marak]

Indeed, the Disney Build-It brick sets are made by Kadawa, the premier brick company of Japan. They were also the original Disney brick producer, having market sets in the 70's and 80's under their U.S. export label Loc Blocs. They are high quality bricks, not compatible with Lego because of their use of the half-depth channel system instead of tubes. The minifigs (Mickey, Donald, and Winney the Pooh) are easily compatible with Lego however.

The Disney/Marvel purchase has nothing to do with licensing arrangements. Lego dropped Spiderman and Batman after short runs. Mega tends seems to give far better support longer to movie titles. They have been doing Marvel for 8 years now, and take a look at the extensive support they produced for the 3 Pirates of the Carribean movies and Cars.

[larry marak]

The Spiderman license was with Sony Pictures (the studio that made the Spiderman movies), not with Marvel. Thus, TLC was limited to sets / mini-figs solely from the movie, and not from the comics.

An open-ended license with Marvel, with access to their entire roster of characters, would be freakin' amazing.

Besides, Art Asylum currently has rights to doing minifigs ..their variety of minifig, the Mini-Mates...to just about every characture out there, Marvel, DC, and many television shows, including both incarnations of Battlestar Galactica and 24. Minimates have socketed feet so they can be used in Lego backgrounds, Art Asylum briefly produced brick sets for Batman, Superman, the Flash, and most of the Justice League, as well as literally hundreds of Marvel and DC characters.

Micromate hands don't clutch lego-system utensils, they are slightly taller than minifigs, more fragile, but also fully artiulated so they can be posed manipulating controls of a vehicle or actually sitting down on a chair with knees bent downward.

[sologuy369]

Well looks like thats were Thomas the train went!!! Also, they must have the Nickeloden license. Dora!!! Good thing it's not Lego .

[larry marak]

Well looks like thats were Thomas the train went!!! Also, they must have the Nickeloden license. Dora!!! Good thing it's not Lego .

Actually Mega Bloks and Lego split Nikelodeon down the middle. Some themes are now Lego, others are Megablock.

On the Disney Parks sets front, Disney now has K'nex doing theme park rides, first releases are Dumbo the Flying Elephant and Space Mountain, these are both elaborate thousand plus piece sets, far and away more advanced than the Kadawa Disney Build-It brick sets.

[Omicron]

Actually Mega Bloks and Lego split Nikelodeon down the middle. Some themes are now Lego, others are Megablock.

Lego doesn't have the Nick license.

-Omi